Province moving forward with consolidation of conservation authorities sparks concern among advocates

Ontario’s conservation authority has plans to consolidate its 36 regional bodies into nine.

The Ford government’s plan follows what it called “extensive consultation on how conservation authorities can help get shovels in the ground faster on homes and other local infrastructure projects, while strengthening their role in managing watersheds and protecting communities from floods and natural hazards.”

In a press release from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, it said that consolidated regional conservation authorities would reduce administrative duplication, redirect resources to front-line conservation and modernize permitting to help the province deliver on its plan to protect Ontario by cutting red tape and building an economy that is more competitive, resilient and self-reliant, to help keep workers on the job in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty.

Ontario’s current system includes 36 independent conservation authorities which, according to the release, has created a fragmented system with inconsistent standards and timelines.

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The provincial release goes on to say this has allegedly created uncertainty and delays for builders, landowners and farmers, and has made it more challenging for conservation authorities to carry out their role in protecting communities from floods and natural hazards. To address this, the province created the new Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) last fall and began consulting with conservation authorities, municipalities and other partners on proposed boundaries for consolidating the province’s conservation authorities.

“Under this plan, the OPCA would coordinate a clear and successful transition targeting early 2027 for consolidation, and to deliver on its goal of improving customer service, enabling more consistent decision-making and strengthening watershed management across the province,” the release said.

The opposition released a statement of their own criticizing the Ford government’s plans. Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Environment, Conservation, and Parks, Peter Tabuns said the Ford government going ahead with plans to shrink the province’s conservation authorities paves the way for destructive sprawl and environmental disasters.

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“Conservation authorities were created to safeguard Ontarians and their homes from environmental disasters,” said Tabuns in his statement. “Doug Ford and Minister McCarthy see them as an unnecessary hurdle for their developer friends looking to make a profit.”

Advocacy group Environmental Defence issued a statement last year, also opposing the province’s plans for conservation authority consolidation.

“While Environment Minister McCarthy paid lip service to protecting the public from “floods and natural hazards”, this morning’s announcement strongly suggested that the chief task of the Agency, and of its new head, Hassan Bassit, will be to standardize conservation authority policies and standards to “get shovels in the ground sooner” for wasteful, McMansion-style sprawl development. Unless it is expressly prohibited, this would almost certainly mean lowering many current Conservation Authority approval standards, or reducing the level of scrutiny applied to permit applications. That would put Ontarians at risk,” said Environmental Defence.

According to the province, Ontario will require regional conservation authorities to create one or more local watershed councils that help identify local priorities for watershed-based conservation programs and services. Regional conservation authorities would remain municipally governed, with regional municipalities, counties and cities appointing members to conservation authorities. Lower-tier municipalities in counties, such as towns and townships, will no longer be participating municipalities of a conservation authority under this approach.

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